Magnets
by Kiecoe
Summary: Cate gets pregnant right after Lux comes back, and doesn't know who the father is.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Fic. hope it reads well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Life Unexpected or the characters in it. Just borrowing them for a time  
**

*** Cate ***

Cate looked down at the bathroom sink then back up to the mirror. This could _not_ be happening. At her age she was mature, responsible, this was not supposed to occur.

She was on birth control and took it religiously. To make matters worse, she couldn't even say which man was the father. Lux had only been back in her life for two weeks and she's already managed to screw up, what sort of example was she.

Walking back into the bedroom she looked at Ryan's sleeping form, he would be ecstatic if he was a father. He was doing so well with Lux and the surprise of her in their lives. But Cate could not tell him about the pregnancy unless she knew it was his.

Dressing quietly, she figured she would go make breakfast for him and Lux. Leaving the room she shut the door and tried to put the disturbing thoughts about the pregnancy out of her mind. Yeah, for all of the ten seconds it took for her to reach the living room. Lux and Baze were sleeping upright on the couch with a laptop open on the table before them.

All the thoughts she was suppressing flooded back. What if the baby was Baze's, it would complicate her life to no end. How would Lux feel about her biological parents having another child together? Regardless, it would be her sibling either way, but if it was Baze's too how would she react?

Moving on to the kitchen she started to pull out the bacon and the pancake mix. The pots clanged as she pulled them out, wincing as it happened, not wanting to wake anyone, to face anyone. Hoping beyond hope that the baby would most defiantly not be Baze's. Because, sadly, she had decided that he was the one she would have to ask first.

Shortly there after, the door to the kitchen swung open, her heart sank, it was him. Baze smiled a sleepy smile at her as he sat down at the table.

"Sorry for falling asleep on your couch, Lux and I were watching some YouTube videos," he shrugged as he rubbed his neck, now stiff from the uncomfortable way he'd slept.

Looking furtively at the door Cate moved closer to Baze and half-whispered, "I have a problem."

With sleepy confusion in his eyes, "Yeess," he drew the response out.

Gulping and lowering her voice even further Cate stammered, "I, I'm pregnant."

"Hmm-kay, why are you telling me?"

Flabbergasted she straightened and walked away from him, memories from over sixteen years ago inundating her mind. Shaking her head she reminded herself that she wasn't a scared teenager now.

What kind of idiot was this man? Obviously not much brighter than he was the first time she told him she was pregnant. One would think he might remember that they'd had sex two weeks ago!

Turning back, she pinned him with a stare, "Because, you moron, it might be yours." Looking back down Cate added, "Or Ryan's."

"Oh. Oh shit," was all Baze could say all vestiges of sleep gone from his face. Cate saw that the situation's gravity had finally hit him. Then his mouth curved into a wry smile.

"So what is your plan this time? Are you going to tell Ryan?"

"No," she hissed at him, "I want to get a paternity test first to find out who the father is."

"You have to wait for the kid to be out first, or did you forget," he spat back.

"No, they can do it before now," Cate informed him, "I want you to go with me to get tested, so if it's not yours, I'll know it is Ryan's"

Looking both irritated and angry she could see that Baze had connected the dots.

"So if it is Ryan's, you don't plan on telling him there was a question about who the father is." Cate hoped that Baze remembered that it was his idea not to tell Ryan about the night in his loft.

"Why hurt him if I don't need to?"

"What about Lux, how do you think she'll feel?"

"How will I feel about what?" The teen breezed into the room looking at Baze, then Cate.

"Pancakes or Waffles," Cate recovered as she shot warning looks at Baze with her eyes. She hoped he would attempt to be mature about this, but she wouldn't hold her breath.

"Pancakes. Definitely Pancakes… You stayin' for breakfast Baze?"

"No, I've got stuff to do this morning at the bar. And I don't have a death wish," he snarked while catching Cate's eye and nodding. "Call if you need anything from me this week."

Baze walked out the door after waving to Lux. Cate breathed a sigh and took his answer to mean he would go along with her for the testing. Dear God, she prayed that the baby wasn't his; it would be devastating if it was.

*** Baze ***

Jamming his hands into his pants pockets Baze headed to his truck. Getting in the driver's seat he looked up to the rear-view mirror. Seeing his reflection he snorted and shook his head.

Why was it this only ever happened when Cate was in his life? That first time in his mom's mini-van, then again in his loft. Hell, he thought, not even with the many other women he'd slept with had there been a pregnancy scare.

After finding out about of Lux's existence he had realized that he really did want to be a father. In the short time since her appearance in his life he _had_ changed. She made him wanted to be a better human being. He was now very glad that Cate hadn't "taken care of it" like he told her to.

He started his vehicle and began to drive back to the bar. His mind wandered to the fact that Cate had told him about this baby first, not Ryan. Part of him was angry because he knew she was just trying to perform damage control with her relationship with Ryan. That is, if the baby was Ryan's, she truly didn't want to have to tell him about Baze and the loft.

He wasn't much different from Cate; he had told her not to tell Ryan they'd had sex. Hell, sixteen years ago he had been way worse than now. He'd denied that they'd had sex together, insulted her, and then told her to get rid of the pregnancy. He never gave it another thought of what she'd done about the baby. Huffing a sigh of disgust at himself, he parked the truck in front of the bar and then headed in.

Damn, he thought as he passed the bar stools, what if the baby was his. He is no more prepared for a baby now than he was the first time but at least now he was an adult, even if Cate claimed he wasn't. He would not be 'that guy' this time; he wanted to be the dad even if she thought he was still just a screw-up.

Pulling a beer out of the frig Baze cracked it open. Looking at the clock it was still early, ah well bottoms up! As the beer hit the back of his throat sobering ideas come into his head, what if the baby belonged to Ryan?

Baze had difficulty forming a coherent thought of how that made him feel. There really was the distinct possibility that the child wasn't his. Ryan has been in Cate's life longer than he'd been. Baze was certain they slept together frequently before and after the time in the loft.

Baze selfishly believed that having a kid together was his and Cate's thing, he never thought of her having one with Ryan. He knew in his head that he would always have Lux with her: but the idea of her having a child with someone else made him slightly ill.

Taking another swig of beer, it seemed to sour in his stomach. If the baby wasn't his he would just have to deal, looking down he shrugged. But if it was his, he would be there this time, whether Cate liked it or not. Perking at that last mental picture he downed the rest of the beer.


	2. Chapter 2

**I wanted to thank every one who reviewed, and for the encouragement. So here is my next chapter. **

**Note: I have them taking a paternity test in this chapter and the sort it is really can only be done at 9wks into a pregnancy. That didn't fit the time line in here, so I took liberties. (I'm a dork and had to look it up before writing about it.)  
**

**I own nothing.  
**

*** Cate ***

Waiting in her car Cate stared at the entrance to the diagnostic center with trepidation. She still couldn't figure out how she managed to get into these situations, and always with Baze. At sixteen she could understand not being able to control herself with him, but what was her excuse now?

Did her fear stem from her utter lack of faith in Baze or her lack of faith in herself? She hadn't any intention of having a child now especially with the return of Lux in her life. Yet she knew that this time she could not give the baby up.

She was the one who had asked Ryan to marry her, _after_ the night with Baze. She was having and keeping this child regardless of who the father was she wouldn't give her child up again. She knew Ryan would certainly feel betrayed by her actions if she had to tell him about Baze.

Her relationship with Ryan hung in the balance at the outcome of the paternity test. She wouldn't lie to him if the baby wasn't his but she feared his reaction. In her mind he was a much better person than she. What would he think of her if the baby wasn't his?

Shaking herself mentally she looked down at the car clock, 12:57, where was he? She'd called Baze with the time for the test, and of course he was going to be late. 1pm Tuesday she'd told him, and he'd said it was fine. How the hell could he be late for something as important as this?

Hearing an approaching vehicle Cate swung her head to the entrance of the parking lot. It was Baze, just in time, barely. Parking a few spaces down from her he got out and hurried to her door.

"Sorry I'm a bit late. The beer delivery took longer then it should've and Jamie wasn't there to cover." She opened the door while he was explaining and shot a sour look at him.

"Well at least you made it. Shall we get in there and get this done?"

Moving to the entrance they walked side by side. His stride long and relaxed while hers were quick and agitated. Turning right inside the doorway they entered suite A that had the plaque saying Omni Diagnostics on it.

At the reception desk Cate signed her name and motioned for Baze to do the same on the line beside hers. Then the two went to sit in the not so comfortable chairs of the waiting room. She tried not to look at him but he appeared so calm sitting with is hands folded on his stomach, legs outstretched.

"How can you be so calm," she asked him, with a hint of malice in her voice. Why is it, this man's mere presence seemed to irritate her almost constantly?

"I'm not, I just don't see the point in getting upset over something I have no control over," he flashed a smile at her while he shrugged.

"No control, huh, right," she rolled her eyes at him. She knew she was taking her frustration out on Baze, but felt powerless to stop.

"If there had been control we wouldn't even be here now would we?"

"Cate," he said with controlled ire, "If I remember correctly you didn't exactly say no, or stop yourself either." She could tell he was starting to lose his normally cool demeanor.

Before she could utter a fitting response, the office door opened. An overly perky blond nurse stepped out of the doorway.

"Cate and Nathaniel?" Her eyes fell on Baze and immediately her gaze warmed-up, smiling even wider she gestured for them to come in. As Cate moved along with Baze the nurse's smile wavered and her eyes turned frosty when they hit her.

"Well hello," Baze looked at her name tag, "Celeste," His tone sounded flirty to Cate's ears and her dislike of the nurse intensified. Baze just couldn't manage to go anywhere without trying to pick some woman up, she thought with disgust.

Trying not to think about the sensations that those thoughts had made her feel, Cate attempted to compose herself as they walked to a small lab area. It held two chairs for taking blood and the usual paraphernalia to complete the process. She never enjoyed getting blood taken, but this was a necessary evil.

"Sit in here please, the other tech and I will be back shortly to get the blood draw." She walked off leaving Cate and Baze sitting in the chairs to wait.

*** Baze***

Sitting with Cate in the lab chairs Baze did his best not to laugh. Cate was agitated over the whole situation and wasn't bothering to hide it. He figured that she still thought of him as the 'dumb jock' from high school.

He knew he needed to be serious about this if the test was positive; it wasn't like they were in any sort of a relationship. Well, except for both being Lux's parents, he was unsure of his place with Cate. And they were obviously still attracted to each other, hence the question about the baby.

Baze watched her trying to ignore him as they sat there, but the silence was eating at him. Maybe, if he brought up the subject they were dancing around, Cate might dial down the hostility a bit.

"Cate?"

"What," she hissed at him.

"I know you're not happy to be here, but I wanted to know what your plans are," he tried being friendly yet subtle at the same time. It was hard to do when you really didn't want to piss someone off.

"My plans for what?"

"I mean, for the baby, since it's mine or Ryan's," he struggled not to sneer out her fiancé's name; honestly he had no real issue with the guy other than he was with Cate. Watching her face she appeared a little less hostile, thoughtfulness was replacing it.

"Oh," she sounded slightly deflated, "No matter what I will keep the baby. But if the test is positive I'll have to tell Ryan about you and me." She didn't look to happy about the last idea.

"If it's negative, I won't tell Ryan about us because it would only cause more trouble." Cate looked at Baze seeming to dare him to condemn her for what she said. He couldn't do it if he'd wanted to; he understood trying to preserve what you had, he'd done that sixteen years ago. Also they were tied together by their daughter, and something else, that Baze couldn't quite figure.

"Well, however it turns out, the test I mean, I'll be in this kid's life too," Baze was slightly surprised that he really did mean it, "as it's dad or just as it's big sister's who likes to hang out."

Baze continued to watch Cate as she absorbed his declaration. Her face ran through a jumble of emotions from shock to grudging acceptance. He started to fidget under her new scrutiny. Why did seem so easy not to be 'that guy' now?

"Do you really mean that?" the disbelief in her voice was a bit grating, but he would take what he could get right now.

"Yeah, like I'd told you when I was fixing that pot, I want to be Lux's father. And even if this one is or isn't mine I'll be here if you need me." Baze hoped that she understood he wasn't the same guy as he was in high school.

At the next moment the nurse returned with the tech, Cate smiled at him, and then turned her attention to approaching women. The tech walked over to Cate and started the blood draw procedure; the nurse of course made a straight shot for Baze.

"How are you feeling today," she asked him with an overly friendly smile.

"Alright I guess," turning on the charming smile. It was hard not to flirt with a woman who obviously liked him, but Baze was tying not to irritate Cate any more today.

"Alright, other than getting poked by a needle. Hold still while I look for a vein." She stared to rub her fingers up the inside of Baze's arm then gave his inner elbow a light slap.

"Ah hah! Found a big one," her triumphant grin was almost a leer when he looked into her eyes. He knew all the signals that she was giving him; it was a go, if he wanted her.

Baze turned his head to look at Cate; she was giving him the stink eye as the tech slid the needle into her arm. She barely registered that it hurt her at all; it appeared that all his work had been for nothing, she was pissed at him again.

"This will just pinch a little," drawing his attention back to her the nurse, who at this point must have guessed there was something between him and Cate. Taking a not so stealthy look at his left hand, her smile only dimmed slightly.

"Are you two having a late lunch next?"

"In fact we are," Cate interjected, "we are getting our daughter from school."

The nurse's face blanched, then she turned back to Baze jamming the needle into his arm. He winced at the same time that Cate snorted; looking back at Cate he could swear she was enjoying his discomfort. The nurse finished quickly, holding a cotton ball to his elbow.

"Hold this while I tape it," her voice had become glacial. She taped the cotton barely giving him time to remove his finger. Turning to Cate she plastered on a smile.

"Just see the receptionist on your way out she can give you any more information that you'll need." The nurse walked away without another glance.

They moved toward the exit and stopped at the desk. The woman there glanced at the lab requisitions then looked up to Cate.

"The report will be ready in a week. Do you want the results mailed or to pick them up here?"

"I'll pick them up here, please."

"Ok, any time after 2pm, after our mail's been delivered." She smiled at them both and returned to her work.

Cate tucked some paperwork that the woman had given her in her purse and went out the door. Baze followed staring at her back trying to decide if he should be mad at her of feel compassion over her comment to the nurse.

Reaching the parking lot Baze couldn't hold himself back any longer. Cate might be suffering from pregnancy hormones, but it didn't excuse her from giving that woman the wrong impression, _he_ wasn't her fiancé.

"Cate, what the hell was that about in there? She was just being friendly to me." He tried to say it nicely but Cate didn't hear it that way.

"Sometimes I get irritated by your behavior around women."

"So you say something to piss a woman off who can inflict pain on me?" On a certain level he did find it funny, except he was the one who got wounded. Cate shook her head and looked at Baze, then pursed her lips at him.

"So, we going to get Lux for lunch?"

Damn this was going to a long week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I took so long with this chapter, Lux is harder to write than Cate or Baze. **

**Thank you for all the encouragement, I hope you enjoy.**

*** Lux ***

Sitting on the couch Lux tried to read her English homework but the sound of silence was too much. Not to mention that Cate had been so weird this week, she was behaving more neurotic than normal.

Only having been with her for a month now Lux learned that Cate had control issues; she couldn't seem to stop herself from trying to fix everything that seemed wrong around her. She also needed to self medicate to get to sleep most nights; the woman went through wine like it was water!

Lux had noticed that Cate had stopped her nightly 'medication' this past week. Instead she had cleaned out the closet and every other hiding place in the house. Currently she was sitting at the dinning room table sorting though something that was in the filing cabinet.

"Cate?" Lux tried to get her attention.

"Cate!"

"What?" Cate looked at Lux as if she couldn't understand why she'd been yelled at.

"Not to be nosy, you have been a little weird this week. Is everything Okay?" There was still a niggling doubt in her mind that Cate really didn't want her there. After all she did give her up before, why not again?

"Ah yeah, I've just been getting use to things the way they are now with all of us." Cate said rather vaguely and it only managed to confuse Lux more.

"Ummm, what do you mean by that?" Lux tried to get more information out of her.

"Well I'm not used to having a daughter, plus with Ryan and I engaged. And then there is Baze in my life now too." Cate looked up to the ceiling thoughtfully. Lux thought that Cate wanted to say more about Baze but didn't.

"I have to say Cate that you didn't need to give up your nightly wine just because I'm here now. Trying to set a good example is wasted on me at this point." Grinning to lighten the mood she saw that Cate seemed more disturbed by the observation and laughed nervously.

"It's never too late to set a good example."

Something was off but Cate wasn't telling her. Lux had enough experience with adults to know when they were keeping something from her. She hadn't thought that Cate would have started this so soon, was it something she'd done?

"So is it alright if Bug and Tash come over tomorrow to hang out?" If Cate was going to start keeping things from her she'd better keep her friends in the loop. Lux still didn't feel totally sure that Cate was going to keep her around even though she'd said she would.

"Isn't Baze coming to get you after school tomorrow so you can spend time together?" Cate got a funny sound in her throat as she tripped over Baze's name; catching Lux's ears, a suspicion began to form in her mind; Cate must have a problem with Baze.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. I'm going to head to bed now." Lux got up and headed to her attic room. Maybe tomorrow she could figure out from Baze what was going on.

* * *

Lux walked out of the building as she tried to forget how difficult it is trying to make new friends. If only Cate hadn't switched her school, then she wouldn't have to fit in with people who had no way of understanding her.

Shaking her head she looked for Baze's truck, there it was in the same spot as always. Moving to the passenger side she opened the door and pulled herself into the cab.

"Hey." Lux smiled at Baze and buckled the seatbelt. Her mind moving everything school related to the background, this was her time to hang out with Baze. It was so weird to think of him as her dad, after so many years without one; it was easier just to think of him as Baze, more of an… overprotective friend.

"Hey, yourself." He quipped back giving Lux his half goofy grin that he gives when he can't think of anything better to say.

"Do anything fun in school today?"

"Yeah Baze, I charmed everyone into believing that I'm perfect." Sarcasm dripping from her voice and scrunching her face into a bad caricature of fake happiness.

"Sorry, bad question I take it," he said apologetically, "I can't imagine it's too fun being in a new school."

"'s all right, you were just trying to have 'a normal dad picking their kid up from school' talk." Lux grinned to soften the blow of her words. She sometimes couldn't help herself from making comments that reminded her parents that they hadn't been there for her when she was younger.

"Baze, could we go out to get dinner tonight?" the two of them having dinner out sounded way better than having the fried stuff out of the grill in the bar. A wicked grin spread across her face before she spoke again.

"Could I get you to try the new vegetarian place downtown?" She smiled hopefully at Baze.

"Ahh no, I want to be able to eat something too," he said quickly. "Don't you want onion rings and the new fried broccoli I added to the menu?" His grin was teasing.

"Nnoo, I'd prefer to eat some of Cate's meals than that right now."

"Really though, I got the ingredients to make that seven bean salad you were showing me online last weekend, and I can drown mine in bacon."

Baze stared the vehicle and pulled out into the lane to drive back to the loft. Lux looked down at the floor, gathering her thoughts she remembered that she needed to grill Baze about what was up with Cate.

"Baze?"

"Yeah?"

"I know we've only been around each other for a little over a month, but I've noticed Cate acting kinda weird this past week." She watched his reaction to her question avidly; which was rewarded with a guilty look on his face before he answered.

"Well I only just started to get reacquainted with her, I wouldn't know." He was so lying, Lux thought so she pushed further.

"She stopped drinking wine and it seems like she is avoiding Ryan when they aren't at work. Do you think it's because of me?" She added the last bit to get more of a reaction out of Baze, guilt did wonders in getting info out of people she'd found.

"Oh god no! It is definitely not you." Lux grinned triumphantly at his answer, he knew why Cate was acting that way and didn't want to tell her.

"Oh good, do you think she'll let me know what's up?"

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll all know soon." Lux picked up on his use of 'we' and she was certain that whatever it was, it had to do with Baze too. She still was in the dark as to why her parents were acting so strange, but she did know that they were both in on it.


End file.
